well I am really late at responding to this. I don't like it, lego has started to try to appeal to the wrong sort of crowd (Of course this is all in my opinion). I think lego should get back to its roots and make (dare I say it) more intelligent sets. I haven't liked anything that lego has done in the past few years. Each time that they make a new theme or even set they have to make more new pieces to make it easier to build or look better. KK1 I thought was ok, but if you actually look at a KK2 set with no preconsieved opinion its just dumb, not cute, not funny, just dumb. oh well, let them do what they like as long as they don't stop making the normal blocks altogether...

As to new pieces, you may find agreement that the big, so-called "juniorized" pieces aren't true to the build-it-from-scratch tradition of LEGO, but I myself have no problem with all the new pieces. For example, the Viking horn piece has proved to be extremely versatile.

LEGO wouldn't be LEGO if they didn't include new pieces with each new batch of sets. They've been doing exactly that for decades, not just the last few years.

well, don't get me wrong I mean I like lego I just dont like some of the things they've done in the past few years

but by "dumb" I really just mean the overall look and design of their sets, though come to think of it that is a rather "strong" word for the situation. By "wrong kind of crowd" I meant that they try to hard to be "cool" while up until recently they were more of a toy for the more creative, but now they leave nothing to the imagination.

LEGO wouldn't be LEGO if they didn't include new pieces with each new batch of sets. They've been doing exactly that for decades, not just the last few years

now, about that. what I meant (and mean) by my original comment is that rather than making a new piece that can be used in other things they make something to specific (take, pretty much the whole bionicle line). well, I didn't mean anything insulting by that post.

P.S. I'm taking the SAT in the morning and have to finish my science fair project this weekend so I'm a little stressed out

Exo-Force is nothing more than a cheap attempt to capitalize on the increasing popularity of Japanese animation in the world market. The characters themselves are little more than cliched stereotypes of your standard "anime" heros. By providing kids with these heroes and a hackneyed storyline, LEGO is able to successfully promote an otherwise lackluster product line to children who are all too eager to buy.

There was a time when LEGO cherished the creativity of young children. Those days have long since passed.

I like the hairs, will be very useful (will perhaps buy some from bricklink too).

I like the faces, will perhaps change Chris' face, but i dont like the frenzied ones.

I like the torsos. Will be massed for my space armies. Different numbers and colors means different regiments. "Archangels 1st Regiment" etc.

The mechas looks cool, but I will buy them and modify them to be more battle-effective.

Gotta paint the blue hair yellow and make Cloud!

If I get into this I may just aswell make it way more serious and darker (like I did with KK2 in The Sorceror's Return). New heroes with deeper more complicated personalities though (like Anime should be).

Blueandwhite wrote:Exo-Force is nothing more than a cheap attempt to capitalize on the increasing popularity of Japanese animation in the world market. The characters themselves are little more than cliched stereotypes of your standard "anime" heros. By providing kids with these heroes and a hackneyed storyline, LEGO is able to successfully promote an otherwise lackluster product line to children who are all too eager to buy.

Now that I can agree with.

Jacob, I'm honestly not a huge fan of this line either. I guess I was trying to ask you (in my roundabout way) to be more specific about your problems with it. As sets, these aren't that great, but as parts packs, they're not all that bad. As I said a couple pages ago, I always like potentially useful minifigs, and I can think think of lots of uses for these.

I really don't have a problem with these. While I personally am not into Mecha and Anime, many AFOLs are. I don't think the sets are that bad and I see uses for the pieces. Really, you know, Lego can't win. We get mad at them for making licensed themes and we beg for them to make their own again. They do and we criticize the new themes.

So, anyway, my take is thus:
1. It is a theme that Lego created on their own (which we have been asking them to do)
2. It has figs with yellow skin and no techno-gadgets on their faces (which we have also been asking for).
3. The pieces have many good uses in the AFOL community (just not for us as much).

I love those new little robots. Its too bad lego didn't go with the same thing on their bionicle minifig scale sets, that would have made new pieces in such a variety of colors. I think they will be great for integrating into the MOC mechas (so much better than TLC's mechas), and Star Wars.

My general complaint against Exo Force wrote: What is TLG thinking? Do they think we're pamsy little imps who like transformers?

Thats right! I don't care a bit about what the hair or robots can be used for, its all junk. We all know that when something is going to expire it lets off a lot a junk in its last hours.

Your Response to what I just wrote wrote:WHAT!? Shadow thinks TLG is going to go down?

Yep, with junk like this, its going down fast. LEGO was built for kids (and old geezers) to use their imagination, whats there to think about with robots and freaky hairdo people? To me, they're not creating much imagination. What ever happened to good old American spirit of imagination? [/quote]